1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system that detects the presence of an unattended child in a vehicle in order to sound an alarm and unlock the vehicle's doors if the presence of a child is detected.
2. Background of the Prior Art
While most parents cannot fathom the possibility, sadly many children are left unattended in a vehicle each year, sometimes with tragic results. Some parents and caregivers, not wanting to go through the trouble of unbuckling and rebuckling a child, will often leave the child or children in a vehicle while the person runs a quick errand such as running into the supermarket. Sometimes the child is left for longer periods of time as the parent or caregiver goes to work with the child in tow, or worse, goes to a nightclub or other adult oriented venue. Still other times the child is simply forgotten about as the parent or caregiver is running about town, especially if the caregiver is not the parent and is not accustomed to having children in the back seat on a regular basis.
Fortunately, most incidents of child neglect within a vehicle have benign results. Even when no adverse occurrences are occasioned on the unattended child, the child is left unprotected and potentially at the mercy of passersby. However, sometimes the child suffers serious injuries or death as a result of being in a vehicle for a prolonged amount of time. In summertime weather, the temperatures inside a closed vehicle can reach 140 degrees or more, far too high for any person, especially a child to survive in for prolonged periods of time.
Although most people will report an unattended child in a vehicle to police, many people do not pay attention to the insides of other peoples' vehicles in a parking lot and simply do not see an unattended child. Window tinting and vehicles high off the ground oftentimes make detecting the presence of a child difficult, especially when the child is within a car seat and gives out no substantial silhouette against the vehicle's windows.
Accordingly, there exists a need in the art that will alert passersby to the presence of an unattended child within a vehicle so that the appropriate authorities can be summoned by the passersby. Such a system should give any intervenors that rescue the unattended child quick and easy access to the interior of the vehicle and thus the unattended child. Additionally, such a system should automatically contact the authorities whenever the system detects an unattended child through the vehicle's satellite or similar communication system, such as the ONSTAR system marketed by General Motors, TELE AID marketed by the Mercedes division of Daimler Chrysler, etc., for vehicles equipped with such systems.